February 28, 2012
BY NBB
Every year the National Biodiesel Conference Vehicle Showcase features stories from some of the newest and highest profile biodiesel-powered vehicles around. OEM representatives, fleet managers and biodiesel advocates were on hand to showcase their biodiesel use and share their support for the industry.
The 2012 edition saw a custom-built biodiesel chopper unveiled by Paul Teutul Sr., a land-speed record-setting Ford F-250 from Hajek Motorsports, and pieces of two of Florida’s greenest fleets in NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Florida Power & Light.
“The use of biodiesel in this broad range of applications really illustrates the power of biodiesel to consumers,” said National Biodiesel Board Technical Director Steve Howell. “The fact that so many OEMs are here and excited to talk about their biodiesel use is a testament to the great advances in fuel quality and confidence in the industry as a whole.”
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Rounding out the display were three vehicles demonstrating the promise of using biodiesel in diesel-electric hybrid vehicles. Hino Trucks featured its groundbreaking new 2012 Hino 195h medium-duty truck, one of the first hybrid trucks approved for use with B20. Bdcotsrus, a nonprofit group, revealed its Progressive Automotive X-Prize contender—a Diesel Electric eXperimental Vehicle built from commercial off-the-shelf parts that achieved greater than 100 miles per gallon on B20. And finally, the future of biodiesel took on a luxurious look as CIMA Green presented the Fisker Karma hybrid electric sports car, due for a diesel-electric option later this year.
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